Fonterra FY26 Results: $9.69 Milk Price, $3.4bn Profit
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
Fonterra has paid $30 million to boost its stake in struggling Chilean milk processor Prolesur.
The 13.6% stake bought from Fundación Isabel Aninat takes the co-op’s stake in Prolesur to 99.9%.
Prolesur, based in southern Chile which sells most of its production to Soprole, a leading consumer branded dairy company in Chile and is 99.9% owned by Fonterra.
The remaining 0.1% of Prolesur’s shares are held by minority shareholders, which Fonterra will offer to purchase at the same price per share being paid to the Fundación for its shareholding.
Fonterra chief executive Africa, Middle East, Europe, North Asia and the Americas (AMENA) Kelvin Wickham says the acquisition allows Fonterra to simplify the interface between Prolesur and Soprole and take steps to better integrate the two businesses.
Both Prolesur and Soprole have faced challenging trading conditions in recent years.
“Having the two more closely integrated will generate operating efficiencies across the supply chain from milk collection, to processing and administration,” says Wickham.
“It also allows us greater flexibility as we focus on realising the best value for the co-op from our businesses in Chile in line with our new strategy.”
Fonterra’s new strategy focuses on using mostly milk from its New Zealand farmer suppliers to supply dairy products around the world.
It is looking at streamlining overseas milk pools; China, Chile and Australia.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
For Canterbury dairy farmers Sian Meijer and Rick Wobben, wearable technology has become one of their most valuable on-farm tools - helping manage 1850 cows across an expansive, high-performing dairy operation while improving efficiency, mating outcomes and day-to-day decision making.
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.
Ravensdown shareholders have elected Jane Montgomery and Kate Acland to the Ravensdown Board for three-year terms, following a closely contested director election.